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After a week of riding in rain, I've discovered many new squeaks. Looks like a good weekend to repack bearings.

In fact, I'd trashed the cups and bearings in the rear wheel and the front steerer totally seized. Took a little while to dial in the new rear wheel (I cannot, for example, run 35mm tires on that bike) and cleaned and repacked the steerer races. Good as newish.

In fact, I'd trashed the cups and bearings in the rear wheel and the front steerer totally seized. Took a little while to dial in the new rear wheel (I cannot, for example, run 35mm tires on that bike) and cleaned and repacked the steerer races. Good as newish.

Maybe switch to cartridge bearings?

Obviously repacking those doesn't make much sense, but seals will likely make that irrelevant. I haven't yet owned a bike/headset long enough to have to replace headset bearings (longest I have had a single headset was probably 20k miles). Nothing fancy - Cane Creek 40.

I know people claim cup & cone hubs are great, but who wants a hub they have to maintain?

Yes, the new wheels, though not very expensive, are cartridge bearing. The old stock house brand wheels were ball bearings. In theory one can clean and repack wheel ball bearings forever. I find in practice the cups and cones get scored fairly easily (because the seals fail on cheap wheels), and rebuilding the entire axle is a major parts-finding pain.

On the steerer, the headset seemed fine. The bottom race was kind of rough, but that was fairly easy to clean and repack. I'll probably take it apart again at some point and replace that race.

Scene: in the elevator of my condo building this morning, heading down.

Unknown neighbor: "I'd rather do that [gesturing at my bike] than go to work."

Me (aloud): "Oh, I'm on my way to work too."

Me (thinking to myself): "Except that I'm going to have a lovely ride along the river, enjoy this beautiful weather, have coffee with friends, and arrive at work energized, while you're stuck in your metal cage."

Anyway, I found it interesting that she saw the bike and assumed I could not possibly be headed to work. The D.C. region has been celebrating Bike to Work Day for 20+ years, there's a BTWD pit stop literally around the corner from my building, and still the message hasn't sunk in.

Scene: in the elevator of my condo building this morning, heading down.

Unknown neighbor: "I'd rather do that [gesturing at my bike] than go to work."

Me (aloud): "Oh, I'm on my way to work too."

Me (thinking to myself): "Except that I'm going to have a lovely ride along the river, enjoy this beautiful weather, have coffee with friends, and arrive at work energized, while you're stuck in your metal cage."

Anyway, I found it interesting that she saw the bike and assumed I could not possibly be headed to work. The D.C. region has been celebrating Bike to Work Day for 20+ years, there's a BTWD pit stop literally around the corner from my building, and still the message hasn't sunk in.

I hear you, but in fairness it was a beautiful morning AND a Friday I am pretty sure a lot of the people I saw on the trail this morning were NOT going to work But yeah, each time we let someone know this is doable, that's a win. Yesterday when I got in someone in the elevator said 'nice day for a ride?' I replied "yeah, but this morning was nicer" which caused a light bulb to go off, as he then asked "do you ride to work every day" (I was honest and said about half the time, also I don't want to seem like I am doing something beyond what is possible for the person asking the question) This morning at the office someone also asked about my ride, and I told them how far.

Someone came in my office this morning and said, "when I drove in the parking lot, I wasn't sure if you were here because I don't know what color your car is." I replied, "orange," and pointed to my bike in the corner.

Great ride up the MVT this morning. Disturbed along the DCA fence south of Gravelly Point by a motorist (?) riding something that sounded like a Honda 50 (does that date me?) working extraordinarily hard on the GWMP. The motor was wound tight and the operator was trying to assist by assuming a full aero tuck. The scene was crowned by the one gallon plastic gas can tied to the back of the motorcycle. You go!